National Consumer Protection Week is a partnership with attorneys general from across the country, along with many national organizations, including the Better Business Bureau, Federal Trade Commission and American Association of Retired Persons, to encourage consumers to understand their rights and make educated consumer decisions.

“This scam is heating up as more Arkansans file their taxes,” said Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge. “Scammers gain access to a tax preparer’s data and file fraudulent tax returns. The thieves then pose as the IRS and threaten legal action if the money is not turned over to them immediately, usually in the form of a wire transfer or pre-paid card.”

Some victims receive threats of being turned over to the IRS collection agency, while others have been told that their social security number would be “blacklisted.” These are both scams and the IRS asks consumers who receive an erroneous refund to follow the established procedures listed below.

Attorney General Rutledge and the IRS released the following tips if Arkansans find a large refund in their name that they were not expecting:

If the erroneous refund was a direct deposit:

Contact the Automated Clearing House department of the bank/financial institution where the direct deposit was received and have them return the refund to the IRS.

Call the IRS toll-free at 800-829-1040 to explain why the direct deposit is being returned.

Include a note stating, "Return of erroneous refund check because (provide a brief explanation of why the refund check is being returned)."

If the erroneous refund was a paper check and you have cashed it:

Submit a personal check, money order, etc., immediately to the appropriate IRS location for the amount deposited by the scammers.

If you no longer have access to a copy of the deposited check, call the IRS toll-free at 800-829-1040 and explain to the IRS assistor that you need information to repay a cashed refund check.

Write on the check/money order: “Payment of Erroneous Refund,” the tax period for which the refund was issued and your social security number.

Include a brief explanation of the reason for returning the refund.

Be aware that repaying an erroneous refund in this manner may result in interest due to the IRS.

The IRS has also encouraged tax preparers to increase their own security measures to avoid these data breaches. Tax preparers should consider consulting with a reputable data security consultant or provider in order to give greater protection to their customers.

The IRS encourages Arkansans with any questions about owed taxes to contact their office directly at (800) 829-1040.

“Intimidation and impersonation are common practices for con artists,” said Attorney General Rutledge. “These criminals are becoming more brazen by offering consumers a badge number and spoofing their phone number to make the call look like it is coming from the courthouse. Scams may sound legitimate, but consumers should always confirm any information with their local courts before providing any information to the person on the other end of the phone.”

Attorney General Rutledge released the following tips for consumers who are contacted by these scammers:

Contact your local courthouse to ensure you are not on a jury duty list.

Contact local law enforcement and provide the name and badge number you received to verify the officer information and ask if you were contacted by that officer.

Court officials will not ask for your personal information such as social security number, address, credit card number or any other personal information. Verifying that information could lead to other scams or identity theft.

The scammers are reportedly asking for payment of the “fine” in the form of gift cards or prepaid debit cards. Once the code on the card is turned over, the criminal has control of the card value. Once the value is redeemed, the consumer cannot get the money back.

Do not share personal information over the internet. Never respond to an email that asks you to transmit personal information over the internet. Do not get reeled in by a phishing scam – legitimate companies will not request this kind of information over the internet. Remember that your bank or credit card issuers already have your account numbers, personal identification numbers, access codes, passwords, Social Security number and other information they need. They will not email you to ask for it.

Keep a close eye on personal documents and credit cards. The most common form of identity theft occurs when criminals obtain personal information through lost or stolen documents, checkbooks or credit cards. Do not keep information that you no longer need in your purse or wallet and do not carry your Social Security card with you unless you know you will need it that day. Do not keep personal identification numbers attached to credit, debit or ATM cards.

Shred or otherwise destroy any statements, documents or records which contain personal or financial information after they are no longer needed.

Protect your mail. Mail bills from a secure location and do not leave sensitive mail sitting in your mailbox for extended periods.

Beware of giving personal information over the phone. When in doubt, hang up and get the business’s phone number from an independent source.

If your identity has been stolen, file a police report and contact the Attorney General’s office for information on filing fraud alerts, requesting an identity theft passport and the next steps you should take.

323 Center Street, Suite 200

Little Rock, Arkansas 72201

(501) 682-2007

(800) 482-8982

The Attorney General’s office will make every effort to assist you. Short forms for questions, filing a consumer complaint, reporting fraud and requesting presentations or publications are available below.

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Attorney General Alerts to consist of warnings about recent scams the Attorney General's office has received complaints about and topics relating to fraud and other consumer protection issues are emailed around noon every Wednesday. Previous alerts are available on our website.

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